BY EMILY JOHNSON
The oldest functioning church in Kansas happens to be in the city of Eudora.
The Holy Family Catholic Church was put on the National Register of Historic Places Oct. 2.
The process to put the church on the register began in 2017 when Janet Campbell started research for the National Register application. Her interest in the project came from attending the church since childhood.
“I am a history buff and I grew up right across the street from the church. So, this was really a personal issue for me,” Campbell said. “It was a labor of love. I feel a strong bond to the church.”
The next steps of the application process included lots of research. Ben Terwilliger, Executive Director of the Eudora Community Museum, helped Campbell find newspaper articles and guided her through the application process.
“Our role as a museum is to just show people the research that we have, to try to walk them through the steps, and to encourage them to do this,” Terwilliger said.
After submitting the state application last year, approval of the State Register of Historic Places came Aug. 1. The Department of Commerce made a recommendation to the National Register and Holy Family Catholic Church was added and accepted in October.
“It’s quite an honor. A lot of buildings don’t qualify for it. They have to be preserved a certain way, they have to be historically intact, they have to have historic integrity,” Terwilliger said.
The process was far from easy, but well worth the hard work. Being a member of The National Registry comes as a great honor and will benefit the church in the long run.
“It will ensure that generations to come will realize its significance and take pride in the building. We hope it will open some doors for some funding,” Campbell said.
Father Michael Scully shared what the church being added to the register means to him.
“It is a good honor to have this happen. It is a good thing for the Parish to know this,” Scully said.
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